Overlord Episode 10 Recap
> Overlord Recap
Long Aoyi wished for her undergarments to be comfortable. Li Qingliu, reviewing Long Aoyi's design, meticulously pointed out its flaws: the absence of pleats or proper cutting allowance at the breast, an overly tight waist, and lacing placed too high around the third and fourth thoracic vertebrae, making it difficult to tie independently. He detailed how such a design would be prone to tearing during strenuous activity and how the rough clipping had damaged the fabric's texture.
He then instructed Long Aoyi to make the necessary alterations according to his precise instructions. A customer soon requested one hundred pieces of Long Aoyi's revised undergarment, filling her with self-satisfaction. However, Li Qingliu decided that once the improved version was released, the existing stock would be sold at a discount, and all new orders for the flawed design would be rejected.
He firmly stated that not even a single flawed product could be released from Xinsilu, even as Long Aoyi, calling him an unscrupulous merchant, argued against rejecting profitable orders. Meanwhile, Du Changfeng, on his way to Xinsilu with his troops, encountered Du Xiaoxian. To prevent her from meeting Li Qingliu, he arranged for her to accompany Prince Li Zhao on an outing to the southern suburbs.
Long Aoyi, still pondering what material could be directly placed against the chest for comfort and support without irritating the skin, followed her nanny's suggestion to visit the backyard. There, she humorously "borrowed" two feathers from a chicken. During their outing, Li Zhao mentioned the undergarment, prompting Du Xiaoxian to express her strong displeasure at Long Aoyi's unauthorized modifications, which she deemed "indecent" and harmful to Xinsilu's reputation.
Li Zhao, however, spoke favorably of Long Aoyi, emphasizing that she had selflessly helped Xinsilu overcome its difficulties. Later, at Phoenix Lake, Du Xiaoxian confided her deep feelings for Li Qingliu, lamenting that her affection was unreciprocated.
Li Zhao, in turn, admitted his own fondness for Long Aoyi, explaining that she was unlike the conventional noblewomen he had met; she was innocent, free, romantic, and carefree, representing a rare and captivating spirit that served as a key to his own emotional liberation rather than just an escape. Back at Xinsilu, Li Qingliu discovered Long Aoyi's newly designed undergarment in his room.
When he asked Yan Bin why Long Aoyi had not delivered it herself, Yan Bin explained that she was busy in the backyard, expecting "thunder bamboo shoots" to fall from the sky. Li Qingliu, impressed with the design, ordered Yan Bin to have it accurately measured for various sizes and to instruct all workshops to immediately produce a thousand sets.
After discreetly leaving Du Xiaoxian, Li Zhao went to a fruit orchard to pick mangosteens for Long Aoyi, even personally washing them. Wu Lin, perplexed by Li Zhao's devotion, questioned why he held Long Aoyi in such high regard. Li Zhao explained that Long Aoyi was different from the superficial women he typically encountered, who were often driven by wealth or political ambitions.
Night fell, and with no time to return to Silver City, Li Zhao and Wu Lin decided to spend the night by Phoenix Lake. Elsewhere, Qiyan, acting on instructions from his superior, finalized his plan to harm Long Aoyi and sabotage Xinsilu, issuing a dire warning to his subordinates about the consequences of failure. The next day, Li Zhao delivered the mangosteens to Long Aoyi.
She noticed a strange odor on him, which Li Zhao attributed to palm oil he might have touched while picking the fruit. That evening, as Li Qingliu reviewed the account books, Long Aoyi was suddenly struck unconscious by Qiyan's subordinates. She awoke to find the warehouse engulfed in flames and, despite the intense danger, bravely rushed in to rescue the bellybands. She was injured when struck by falling debris, and Li Qingliu, arriving to save her, also sustained injuries.
Du Changfeng and Li Zhao soon arrived at the burning manor. Du Changfeng, fearing the heat, hesitated to enter. Li Zhao, upon learning Long Aoyi was still inside, frantically searched for a way to save her, but the raging fire made it impossible. Li Qingliu eventually guided Long Aoyi out through the least affected warehouse door.
Li Zhao then carried the unconscious Long Aoyi away, while Li Qingliu, despite his own pain, ordered all the servants to prioritize extinguishing the fire. Long Aoyi later regained consciousness. Li Zhao gently used a wet towel to wipe her face, but she insisted she could manage herself. Seeing her swollen, burnt hand, Li Zhao carefully applied the towel to the injury, blowing on it to provide some relief, even as Long Aoyi tried to downplay her pain.
The following morning, Long Aoyi awoke to find her wound bandaged and expressed gratitude to Li Zhao. Li Qingliu arrived and, observing Li Zhao's solicitous care for Long Aoyi while his own wound was bleeding, felt a pang of jealousy. Long Aoyi thanked Li Qingliu for saving her, but he immediately reprimanded her, explaining that her actions had nearly brought ruin to Xinsilu. Confused, Long Aoyi listened as Li Qingliu prompted Du Xiaoxian to explain the financial implications.
Du Xiaoxian detailed how the total loss from a burnt Xinsilu, calculated by finished and unfinished goods, would be 632,745 taels. However, if even a single life were lost, the casualty allowance, thirty times the average taxes, would amount to 985,990 taels. Li Qingliu used this cold calculation to show Long Aoyi that her life was monetarily more valuable than the burning goods, a comparison Long Aoyi found abhorrent and insulting, calling him a "cold-blooded monster."
Li Qingliu then revealed that the fire had two distinct points of origin—one in Long Aoyi’s courtyard and the other in the warehouse—strongly suggesting that the arsonist intended to kill Long Aoyi. Later, Xiaoqin tried to visit Long Aoyi but was stopped by Yan Bin, who explained that government officials were investigating the case and her interference could complicate matters for Long Aoyi.
Xiaoqin eventually made a pinky promise with Yan Bin, who assured her he would allow her to see Long Aoyi as soon as the opportunity arose. Meanwhile, Qiyan was furious that Long Aoyi had not perished in the fire. His subordinate tried to explain that Long Aoyi was too "clever," but Qiyan dismissed the excuse. The subordinate then speculated aloud, wondering how Qiyan knew Long Aoyi had only burned her hand, suggesting that perhaps they had an informant within the government.
